This is Edmonton

Edmonton’s internationally renowned video game studio has powered down for the last time. BioWare was shut down last week when Electronic Arts, its parent company, announced company-wide layoffs. BioWare had a major impact on the video game industry and its closure has raised questions about the future of the Edmonton scene. We sit down with one of the founders of BioWare to talk about the company's legacy.

The October 19th referendum was historic, and the majority of Albertans voted to stay in Canada. As the remaining ballots are counted, we sit down with a data scientist to talk about what the initial results tell us and where we go from here.

It’s less than a week until referendum day, but this vote has been decades in the making. To prepare us for what’s next, producer Pippa Reed takes a look back at how we got here. From the first Prime Minister Trudeau and the National Energy Program, to the drama of dueling petitions and court cases, we look at the long story of separatist sentiment in Alberta.

In less than two weeks, Albertans head to the polls to answer 10 questions that could affect the future of the province. The historic, non-binding referendum includes five questions about immigration, four about constitutional changes and one about whether Alberta should stay in Canada or start the process for another vote to separate. The questions are long and dense, so we thought a debrief on what they mean would be worthwhile for our listeners. Clare Bonnyman sits down with CBC reporters Rukhsar Ali and Joel Dryden, who have both written extensively about the questions Albertans will vote on.

On this National day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, things feel a little different. The upcoming provincial referendum, and question on separatism, is colouring conversations as communities mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6. On this episode of the show, reporter Stephanie Cram explains the significance of Treaty 6, and what it means for a possible separation vote. Plus, why First Nations in Alberta are gearing up to “Rock the Vote” in a few weeks.

The former Edmonton Journal building has been listed for sale. While Journal employees haven't worked in the space for a number of years, the sale marks a shift in the way local news is reported, and how audiences reach it. On this week's episode of This Is Edmonton, guest host Colton Hutchinson speaks to media consultant Marty Forbes about the changing landscape of local journalism.

Hockey season has yet to begin, but the Oilers are back in the headlines. Last week they signed Alex Formenton, one of the five players from the 2018 world juniors team, acquitted in a sexual assault case last year. The signing has divided fans. We break it down with a local sports writer, and talk about whether or not community backlash can create change in hockey culture.

How long can you hold your bladder? If you’re out and about in Edmonton, you might find out the hard way if you’re caught without a public washroom nearby. Publicly accessible toilets are a big part of urban planning, but they can be challenging to implement. Reporter Liam Harrap took stock of Edmonton’s public washrooms and looked into the city’s plan to ensure everyone has a place to go when nature calls.

When Edmontonians text Transit Watch, ETS’s safety reporting hotline, it reveals what’s actually happening on our transit system. But where do those messages go? The CBC obtained a month's worth of messages to Transit Watch. The CBC’s Madeleine Cummings breaks down rider’s concerns, and how their experiences shape the future and function of ETS.

Bike lane controversy is not going away in Edmonton — if anything it’s getting louder. This fall the provincial government plans to introduce legislation that would allow them to remove bike lanes in cities, and in the meantime neighbours are opposing new active transportation pathways in progress throughout the city. So how many people are actually using Edmonton’s bike lanes? CBC reporter Emily Williams looks at the numbers and what we know.

When Delwin Vriend’s legal battle lands in the Supreme Court of Canada, public debate turns ugly. And like it or not, Delwin and his legal team become the faces of the battle to protect sexual orientation; heroes to some, and villains to others. 

Host Falen Johnson and journalist Clare Bonnyman bring us behind the scenes of the fateful SCC case, Vriend v Alberta, and a ruling that breaks new ground for 2SLGBTQ+ people, but also breaks Delwin. Even after proclaiming “Ha-ha, I win,” he faces hard choices about how to handle the legacy of the...

Delwin Vriend isn’t seeking the spotlight. As an introverted gay man, working at an Edmonton Christian school in the 1990s, he keeps a low profile. But when he’s fired for being gay, he knows he needs to push back in a very public way.

Host Falen Johnson and journalist Clare Bonnyman recount the case of Vriend v Alberta, and the loud and sometimes lewd court battles that see a judge turn his chair to the wall when Vriend’s lawyers speak; newspapers plastering his photo next to a pic of a convicted pedoph...

Edmontonians are experiencing a massive amount of infill — but it’s revealing some cracks in the city’s communication. This week on the show, CBC reporter Katie Teeling looks at how neighbours are being consulted and communicated with about development projects happening on their street. They dig into a project in Laurier Heights, and how residents there have questions about how the city can better explain what’s happening and why.

Here in the city, we have a strong connection to the Rocky Mountains. Many Edmontonians even consider Jasper, kind of like a backyard, but we're certainly not alone in our love of elevation. CBC’s Liam Harrap did a deep dive into the country’s peaks and the unique ways people celebrate, enjoy and study them. He sits down to break down his show “Mountain Love."

This year has been anything but normal for Edmonton’s summer festivals. Storms have already cancelled multiple outdoor concerts and shows, and smoky skies are now threatening one of the biggest festival weekends of the year. In this episode, we’ll hear how organizers are making contingency plans for bad weather. Plus, we'll do a deep dive into the work required to put on major music shows and discuss external factors that significantly impact producers.

Part of this episode originally aired on July 9, 2025. 

The City of Edmonton is considering bus rapid transit, or BRT, as a new future transit option. It’s been an idea before, but a new city proposal looks at two routes that could make serious changes to Edmonton’s streets. CBC reporter Emily Williams dives into the BRT debate, and explains why this option is back on the table.

All is fair in love, war and referendums… or is it? As Alberta approaches the Oct. 19 vote and the question of separating from Canada, emotions are high, and having conversations across the political spectrum can be difficult. However, it’s more important than ever to come together and talk about it. University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley offers practical advice on how to talk to our neighbours about politics and why this conversation matters.

Did you know that back in the day your weekend shopping sprees could be cut short? The Lord’s Day Act was a federal law that said businesses could not open on Sundays — but an Alberta drug store took this issue to court. Now your Sunday morning grocery run goes smoothly. We dig into R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd.

After a three-year closure, William Hawrelak Park is up and running again this summer — and Edmonton is pretty excited. The more than 60-hectare green space is one of the river valley's gems, but how did it get its name? CBC’s Sean Newton takes a deep dive into Edmonton’s history, introducing us to William ‘Wild Bill’ Hawrelak and exploring how he shaped the city we know today.

Clothes moths may seem like an old-timey issue, but these tiny bugs can have a big impact on your home. Here in Edmonton, they’re making themselves known. We speak to a CBC reporter about her battle with the pests and how she enlisted the help of beneficial insects. Additionally, an entomologist and an exterminator weigh in on what you need to know about these infuriating creatures.

What happens when Edmonton’s new neighbourhoods grow, and the city tries to manage traffic safety? For residents in the Maple Crest community, they were met with massive delays. The city put a new four-way stop on one of the only ways out of the neighbourhood, increasing a five minute commute to 45 minutes. But how did that happen? How can we design new communities better so they can grow with their residents and not create more traffic trouble in the city?

There’s a team in Edmonton that responds to crisis calls from across the city and meets people where they’re at. And yes, that does make them sound like superheroes. But now you can watch them in action. The 24/7 Crisis Diversion Dashboard is an animated map created by a partnership of agencies, that shows where and when people in our city call for help, and how the team gets them what they need. Kelly Husack, director of community initiatives with Reach Edmonton, joins Clare to talk about how this system works, and why they wanted the public to see...

Edmonton’s bridges are getting old. Now, the City of Edmonton wants to look at decommissioning and replacing a bunch of bridges in the core, including the iconic High Level and Low Level bridges. The proposal is based on a new bridge renewal report. So what are the plans? And is it any wonder the idea of losing historic bridges has the heritage community up in arms? We’ll find out what we might be losing and gaining when we sit down with local heritage nerd Dan Rose.

There’s a new era in the city’s infill debates – restrictive covenants. For some neighbourhoods, this legal tool has become a last resort to preventing Edmonton’s blanket zoning from changing their neighbourhoods. CBC reporter Emily Williams digs into how these rules actually work and why some neighbours are rallying their community to sign on.

You really can’t avoid talking about Alberta separatism these days, but the conversation just keeps getting more complicated. To get some clarity, we wanted to find out how many Albertans actually want to leave Canada — and why some others may be supporting efforts to hold a referendum. Host Clare Bonnyman sits down with John B. Santos, a data scientist with Janet Brown Opinion Research, to go through the results of a poll CBC commissioned this spring.

For eight months, an abandoned truck sat on a street in a southwest Edmonton neighbourhood. And neighbours retaliated, with bags of dog poop. CBC reporter Morgan Black investigated and tried to answer, "How could this happen?" Turns out, it highlights challenges with towing that have been plaguing the city for months.

Hundreds of people are Tased by the Edmonton Police Service every year, and that number is rising steadily year over year. But how do we know who is being Tased, and why? It turns out that getting that information isn’t as easy as you might think. CBC Edmonton investigative reporter Taylor Lambert sits down with host Clare Bonnyman to discuss the process of obtaining this data — and why these numbers matter when it comes to police enforcement.

From parking bans to abandoned cars, we’ll hear why Councillor Aaron Paquette says Edmonton needs to address its parking enforcement strategy. But what does that look like in our city now? We hit the streets and hear from frustrated Edmontonians looking for change when it comes to where, when and how long they can park.

In December, Edmonton police announced they were testing AI-driven facial recognition technology on body cameras worn by officers. This week, the CBC published an investigation based on documents revealing new details about that program. Taylor Lambert, CBC Edmonton’s investigative producer, is here to walk us through what he found.

You’ve probably seen at least one ad for a GLP-1. The weight loss drugs have become big business and now companies can start making a generic version of Ozempic. Reporter Julia Wong tells us about how one Edmonton company wants to cash in by creating a Canadian-made version of the drug, and the impact it could have on local drug manufacturing.

Why does Edmonton get rid of it's old buildings? And can we even choose which ones to save? This week guest host Colton Hutchinson speaks with Dan Rose, creator of the 'Arch Madness' bracket, about Edmonton's threatened historic buildings. He reveals the winner of this year's tournament, and what it means when we lose historic structures. 

In January, CBC News reached out to Alberta school staff through a mass email campaign. We asked questions about classroom conditions and heard from thousands of teachers. They shared their thoughts on the teachers' strike, ongoing challenges with classroom complexity and more. This week we dig into one of these issues, classroom violence, and how it’s impacting Edmonton teachers and students.

With the rising cost of living, how can young people set themselves up for financial success? Host Colton Hutchinson speaks to a financial literacy expert and gets some tax filing tips from CBC reporter Tristan Mottershead.

This week on This is Edmonton, host Colton Hutchinson looks at how freeze-thaw cycles affect how accessible our city is.

The Edmonton Oilers are a massive economic generator. Have you seen the price for season tickets?! OEG was even named one of the top 5 most profitable sports teams in the world recently. So why did we end up with the most profitable team in the NHL here? CBC’s Sean Newton joins host Clare Bonnyman to break down just how big of a business hockey is, and how much control fans have over finances.

The housing infill conversation at Edmonton’s city council is particularly heated of late. In recent years, the city has made big changes to what can be built where, and neighbourhoods are starting to see the impacts of those bylaws. Housing has remained relatively affordable, but the look of some neighbourhoods has shifted — and some longtime residents are left feeling overlooked. The CBC’s Colton Hutchinson takes over this episode and breaks down our infill feelings with reporter Morgan Black.

The University of Alberta wants to eliminate equity, diversity and inclusion from its hiring policy. This comes one year after the school’s president announced it was moving away from the term, saying it had become polarizing. But now staff and students are speaking out against the removal of these kinds of policies and where this pressure comes from. CBC reporter Emily Williams joins host Clare Bonnyman to dig deeper into the issue.

Edmonton’s McCauley neighbourhood has a PR problem. The inner city community is home to Commonwealth Stadium, the Italian Centre and Chinatown. But it also has a disproportionate number of resources for the homeless community. But residents believe in their neighbourhood. Perhaps none more than Teresa Spinelli. Host Clare Bonnyman joins Spinelli for a talk about the work the community is doing, to make McCauley better and the lessons the rest of the city can learn from them.

It was nine years ago when the Bowes family lost their baby boy, Huxley. The infant was born in an Edmonton hospital and died just three days after his traumatic delivery. Their loss prompted a series of regulatory reviews, systemic changes to the operation of the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and a now-dismissed wrongful death lawsuit. What has all of this changed? CBC reporter Wallis Snowdon joins the podcast to dig into the story.

The data makes it clear — transit-related violence has risen across Canada over the past decade. And Edmonton has one of the most dangerous transit systems in the country. But what do we know about who is at the source of the violence? And how has our city handled growing concerns around safety on the LRT? We dig into an investigation from CBC and the Investigative Journalism Foundation with reporter Nicholas Frew.